Avocados from Peru key for meeting demand

October 12, 2017

Avocados from Peru shipped a record 145 million pounds of Peruvian avocados to the United States in an extremely condensed window of time during the summer months, helping to meet soaring demand for the fruit in a season when domestic production was down significantly.

“The shortage in the U.S. avocado market this past summer provided AFP the opportunity to maximize our distribution,” said Jose Antonio Castro, chairman of Avocados from Peru. “We were happy to meet demand for avocados this season in the U.S.”

Additionally, this season’s marketing initiatives included strategic partnerships with many top retailers.

“We saw great success this season by partnering with major retail stores like Costco, Walmart and Sam’s Club,” said Xavier Equihua, president and chief executive officer of the Peruvian Avocado Commission, based in Washington, DC. “Collectively, we executed an unprecedented 6,000 Peruvian avocado demos at these large retail outlets between June and August this season. This initiative played a crucial role in reaching consumers nationwide.”

Walmart’s Wellness DayAFP was selected by Walmart to be the first in the avocado category to be a part of its 2017 Wellness Day. Walmart’s Wellness Day is considered to be the largest health fair in the world and is held on the same day in June every year in over 4,500 Walmart stores. AFP served thousands of Walmart shoppers its signature Avocado & Blueberry Smoothie on Wellness Day.

2017 highlightsAFP experienced a number of highlights during the 2017 season. Among them were:

A kick-off July 4th event where APF treated baseball fans to a free topping of fresh Peruvian avocados with the purchase of an Oriole dog during the Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Avo-Dog is quickly becoming a baseball fan favorite.

AFP took over the bus wraps of several American cities including the nation’s capital, Washington DC.

A morning TV show segment on the top-rated news broadcasting station in Baltimore, NBC’s WBAL News Channel 11. The segment featured several summer Peruvian avocado dishes prepared and presented by the chefs and global ambassadors for AFP, the Peruvian Brothers.

AFP co-sponsored a festival at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, along with the Embassy of Peru, titled “Kaypi Peru” (“This is Peru”), highlighting the South American nation’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. AFP created unique dishes for the event, including Peruvian avocado truffles, avocado oatmeal cookies, avocado and bison sliders and a multi-flavored avocado gelateria.

AFP featured fresh summer recipes on the nationally syndicated morning TV show “All About Summer,” generating 2.5 million impressions nationwide.

End-of-season meetingAFP’s 2017 end-of-season meeting will be held Oct. 19 in New Orleans, one day prior to PMA Fresh Summit. The featured guests include James Rogers from Apeel Sciences and Debasish Bandyopadhyay from the University of Texas.

Rogers will present his company’s signature plant-based technologies that have been tested and proven to prolong avocado shelf life.

Bandyopadhyay will present his scientific findings regarding avocado seed husk oil. His research shows that behenyl alcohol, an important ingredient used in anti-viral medications, heptacosane, which may inhibit the growth of tumor cells, and dodecanoic acid, which increases high density lipoprotein (known as HDL) are all present in avocado seed husk oil. As a result, avocado seed husk oil may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and other diseases.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Bandyopadhyay will present before our association the findings of this important study,” said Daniel Bustamante, AFP’s marketing committee chairman and director. “This groundbreaking study was first presented two months ago during the American Chemical Society annual meeting. The ACS is the world’s largest scientific society.”

The marketing efforts of AFP reflect the organization’s commitment to supplying the U.S. with top-quality fruit during the summer season. Peru has been named South America’s leading culinary destination by the World Travel Awards.

As America’s favorite heart-healthy superfood, avocados from Peru boast 20 essential vitamins and minerals, no sodium or cholesterol, and are gluten-free.